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John Taylor (18th century)
John Taylor (9 Aug. 1757 - May 1832) was an English poet, miscellaneous writer, and oculist. Life Taylor was born at Highgate, London, the eldest son of John Taylor (1724–1787), the younger, oculist, by his wife Ann (Price). He acquired a slender education under Dr. Crawford in Hatton Garden and at a school at Ponder's End, Middlesex.Smith, 445. He at first followed the family profession, and was appointed jointly with his brother, Jeremiah Taylor, M.R.C.S., oculist to George III. But an absorbing devotion to the stage, added to great facility for verse-making, gradually attracted him to journalism. He was for some years dramatic critic to the Morning Post, and about 1787 he succeeded William Jackson (1737–1795) as its editor. Subsequently he purchased the True Briton, and lastly became in 1813 proprietor of the Sun, a virulently tory paper. The editor, William Jerdan, owned a share in the ‘Sun,’ but a quarrel led to 2 or 3 years' litigation, and Jerdan was bought out by Taylor in 1817. In 1825 Taylor sold the paper to Murdo Young, who changed its politics. At the Turk's Head coffee-house and the Keep the Line Club Taylor consorted with all the convivial spirits of the day. He wrote innumerable addresses, prologues, and epilogues for the stage, and was familiar, according to Jerdan, with "all the quidnuncs, playgoers, performers, artists, and literati in the moving ranks of everyday society." According to his own account he made suggestions to Boswell, who met him on the eve of publication of his Life of Johnson. Wordsworth sent him his poems. In his later years he wrote from memory Records of my Life (2 vols., London, 1832, 8vo), full of redundant gossip and stories mostly discreditable to the persons named. Portions are reprinted in Personal Reminiscences (the Bric-a-Brac series, vol. viii. New York, 1875, 8vo). He was twice married. He died in Great Russell Street in May 1832. Writing Taylor is best known by his Monsieur Tonson, a dramatic poem suggested by a prank of Thomas King (1730–1805) the actor. An elaborated dramatic version by William Thomas Moncrieff (1794–1857) was read or rehearsed on 8 September 1821, but never played, at Drury Lane (Genest, History of the Stage, ix. 96). The poem, however, recited by John Fawcett at the Freemasons' Tavern, drew crowds — a striking tribute to the actor's powers of elocution. It was illustrated by Richard Cruikshank, London, 1830, 12mo; and was republished in vol. ii. of Facetiæ, or Jeux d'Esprit, illustrated by Cruikshank, 1830 (an earlier edition, Glasgow 1800, 12mo). Other works by Taylor are: ‘Statement of Transactions respecting the King's Theatre at the Haymarket,’ 1791, 8vo. ‘Verses on Various Occasions,’ London, 1795, 8vo, including ‘The Stage,’ addressed to living actors, here reprinted. ‘The Caledonian Comet,’ London, 1810, 8vo, with allusions to contemporary poets; reprinted in ‘Poems on Several Occasions,’ 2 vols., Edinburgh, 1811, 12mo. ‘Poems on Various Subjects,’ 2 vols., London, 1827, 8vo, chiefly addressed to his friends and acquaintance. Recognition A portrait, published by Bull in 1832, is in the ‘Records;’ another, engraved by Daniell from a painting by Dance, is mentioned by Evans (Cat. of Engraved Portraits, ii. 383). A third was painted by A.J. Oliver (Cat. Third Loan Exhib. No. 368). Publications Poetry *''Verses on Various Occasions''. London: B. Millan, for J. Debrett / Cullen, 1795. *''Monsieur Tonson: A tale''. Lonon: A. Macpherson, 1795; Glasgow: Brash & Reid, 1796 **''Monsieur Tonson: A new version''. London: Juvenile Library, 1808 **(illustrated by Robert Cruikshank). London: Marsh & Miller, 1830. *''Frank Hayman: A tale''. London: Laurie & Whittle, 1798. *''The Caledonian Comet''. London: 1810. *''Poems on Several Occasions''. Edinburgh: George Ramsay, for John Murray, London, 1811. *''The Norwich Fox Dinner: An ode''. London: W. Headley, 1819. *''Poems on Various Subjects''. London: Payne & Fox, 1827. Non-fiction *''Records of my Life''. (2 volumes), London: Edward Bull, 1832; New York: J. & J. Harper, 1833. Collected editions *''Poems and Translations: including the first four books of Ovid's Fasti''. Liverpool, UK: Forshaw, 1839. Edited *Joseph Richardson, Literary Relics. London: J. Ridgway, 1807. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:John Taylor, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Dec. 15, 2016. See also *List of British poets References * . Wikisource, Web, Dec. 15, 2016. Notes External links ;Poems *John Taylor Esq. (1757-1832) info & 6 poems at English Poetry, 1579-1830 ;About * Taylor, John (1757-1832) Category:1757 births Category:1832 deaths Category:18th-century poets Category:19th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:English poets Category:People from London Category:Poets